Boccia is a precision ball sport, similar to bocce, and related to bowls and pétanque. The name "boccia" is derived from the Latin word for "boss" – bottia. The sport is contested at local, national and international levels, by athletes with severe physical disabilities. It was originally designed to be played by people with cerebral palsy but now includes athletes with other severe disabilities affecting motor skills. In 1984, it became a Paralympic sport and as of 2020, 75 boccia national organizations have joined one or more of the international organizations. Boccia is governed by the Boccia International Sports Federation (BISFed) and is one of two Paralympic sports that have no counterpart in the Olympic program, although it is a Paralympic variant of bocce (boules).
Boccia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics was held in the ExCeL from 2 September to 8 September, with a maximum of 104 athletes competing in seven events. There were four individual events, two pair events, and one team event.
Tom Leahy is a paralympic athlete from Ireland competing mainly in category BC2 Boccia events and F32 throwing events. Leahy competed in eight Paralympic Games. He won three Paralympic gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals.
BC1 is a boccia classification. The class is open to people with several different types of disabilities, including cerebral palsy. BC1 players have events open to them in boccia on the Paralympic Games program.
Boccia at the 2016 Summer Paralympics was held in Riocentro, in the Barra district of Rio de Janeiro in September 2016, with a maximum of 104 athletes competing in seven events. The programme consisted of four individual events, two pairs events, and one team event, spread across four classifications.
The mixed pairs BC3 boccia event at the 2016 Summer Paralympics was contested from 10 September to 13 September at Sambodromo in Rio de Janeiro. 8 teams of competitors took part.
The mixed individual BC1 boccia event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 28 August and 1 September 2021 at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre. This event is a mixed event; 19 male and female players from 13 nations will be competing.
The mixed team BC1/BC2 boccia event in the 2020 Summer Paralympics was played between 2 and 4 September 2021. 40 athletes from 10 nations, each team containing 4 athletes, participated in the competition.
The mixed pairs BC3 boccia event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 2 and 4 September 2021 at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre. Since this event is a mixed event, both genders, male and female, compete in the event.
The mixed pairs BC4 boccia event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics was contested between 2 and 4 September 2021 at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre. Since this event is a mixed event, both genders, male and female, competed in the event.
The women's individual BC4 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 29 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The women's individual BC3 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 29 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The women's individual BC2 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 28 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The women's individual BC1 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 28 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The mixed pairs BC4 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 2 and 4 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena. Since this event is a mixed event, both genders, male and female, compete in the event.
The men's individual BC4 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 29 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The men's individual BC3 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 29 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The men's individual BC2 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be contested between 28 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The men's individual BC1 boccia event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics is being contested between 28 August and 2 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena.
The mixed team BC1–2 boccia event in the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be played between 2 and 4 September 2024 at the South Paris Arena. 36 athletes from 12 nations, each team containing 3 athletes, will participate in the competition.
